Neither in Italy nor in France. Here is the culinary capital of Europe

This ranking will delight all gourmets. The Italki.com platform has prepared a list of the 10 best places in Europe in terms of cuisine. The list does not include popular places in Italy or France, such as Rome, Naples or Paris. Experts focused on undiscovered gems that will surprise tourists with a wealth of flavors. The capital of the hot Mediterranean island unexpectedly took first place.

The best food in Europe

Good food is one of the most important elements of a successful vacation. Regardless of whether we dine in an all-inclusive hotel, in traditional bars or in expensive restaurants, we count on the fact that local flavors will conquer our senses. In Europe, we will find many places famous for regional specialties and millions of satisfied tourists – cities such as Paris, Naples, Rome or Palermo do not need to be introduced to anyone. However, on the Old Continent we can still find “undiscovered gems”. The language platform Italki.com has prepared a ranking of the 10 best holiday destinations for culinary critics.

Malta in first place, Portugal in second

The winner of the ranking was Valletta – the capital of Malta, listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The city of less than 10,000 inhabitants houses over 300 monuments and countless restaurants offering Maltese cuisine with strong Mediterranean and Sicilian influences. “Valletta is home to 215 four-star restaurants (for 1,000 people), as well as 30 prestigious Michelin-starred establishments,” we read. In second place was the Portuguese Sintra. Located on the outskirts of Lisbon, the town, famous for its colorful Pena Palace, also boasts a wide selection of regional dishes and wines. “Many of Sintra’s palaces and estates have cafés or restaurants with stunning views, so visitors can combine sightseeing with a delicious meal,” the authors of the ranking say.

Third place went to Opatija in Croatia. Discovered on a two-hour train trip from Trieste in Italy, the city offers a surprising blend of Mediterranean cuisine with Austro-Hungarian influences. Alongside fresh squid, there’s also schnitzel and hearty goulash. The ranking also includes Kotor in Montenegro, San Sebastian in Spain, Bath in the UK and Bruges in Belgium.